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A COLLECTION OF 
ANTIQUE CARPETS 




Vlate i 





















A COLLECTION OF 
ANTIQUE CARPETS 



B. ALTMAN ®f CO. 

• I 

NEW YORK 


cotv & 


UK ^08 

.A6 

Co p\| 1. 


Copyrighted 1923 by' B. Altman & Co 


.si 


New York 


©C1A759640 V 


WO’/ - I ,‘J23 









A COLLECTION OF 
ANTIQUE CARPETS 


T HROUGH all the history of the textile arts, surpassing even the 
appreciation of tapestries, brocades and velvets, there has endured a 
widespread interest in the rugs and carpets of the Orient. Since the time 
of Marco Polo, they have been among the treasures of the East, brought 
by conquest and by commerce, to decorate civic buildings and homes, 
and to inspire artisans and designers alike. 

Entries of Oriental carpets are frequent in the inventories of European 
Cathedral treasures. Military expeditions returning to Continental 
Europe and England, from the endless conflict of Cross and Crescent, 
carried beautiful rugs among their trophies and with them the impetus 
that started carpet-weaving in the home countries. The early appreciation 
of Eastern carpets is evident in the paintings of old masters who used their 
rich color and pattern for decorative values. Through the centuries has 
come that admiration for splendid specimens of antique Oriental weaving 
which has made them sought by museums and private collectors. 

This general interest in Oriental textiles as works of art has given every 
emissary to the rug-producing countries of the East an added business mis¬ 
sion— to secure for his Western markets, not only the normal product of 
the various weaving centers, but also particularly to discover those speci¬ 
mens of the master workmanship of earlier days which have grown increas¬ 
ingly rare. Only a few of the rugs obtainable today represent the best 
work of each locality and era. In America, and also in Europe, coveted 



















pieces are seldom to be found in the open markets. Museums and 
important private collections contain most of the splendor of antique 
Oriental textiles. 

Under these conditions, it is with pardonable satisfaction that B. Altman 
& Co. have made available a most significant collection, of which this 
book is a catalogue. Forty-seven antique carpets and rugs have been 
assembled through the wide connections of the institution during years 
of search throughout the East by men of broad experience. The illustra¬ 
tions of this book, in color and in black and white, typify the magnifi¬ 
cence of the design and texture which place many of these rugs among the 
very finest and rarest specimens of Oriental Art. 

B. Altman & Co. submit these rugs and carpets with the assurance that 
their beauty and value make them of especial interest to private or public 
collectors, as objects of home decoration or as museum pieces of enduring 
worth. A discriminating public will take pleasure in the opportunity to 
view this exhibition of unsurpassed beauty and exceptional historic 
interest. 



8 



VIate i 

(FRONTISPIECE) 

Persian Vase Carpet, xvii Century 

Width: Six feet 
Length: Fifteen feet 


Among the few entire carpets of its kind known 
to exist is this vase design from South Persia, 
known by the names “Shah Abbas” and “Ispa¬ 
han.” The graceful design and the delicately 
scrolling flower-stems place it among the master¬ 
pieces woven during the Safavid Dynasty, when, 
encouraged and promoted by the rulers, the 
native art in Persia expressed itself in the finest 
and most famed creations. 

The dark blue border ground and the rose center 
ground give each to the other a contrasting beauty. 
The peach or almond blossoms emphasize the 
Persian taste for motifs chosen from nature. A 
rug of the same period, now in the Imperial Otto¬ 
man Museum, Constantinople, shows a border 
which differs only slightly from this piece. 

The beauty of the entire carpet and the rareness 
of the type make it a specimen to be prized by any 
collector or museum. 


9 



'"Plate ii 


io 
























1 Vlatc ii 

Persian Vase Carpet, xvii Century 

Width: Five feet ten inches 
Length: Eleven feet eleven inches 


Designs found in Persian painting and mosaics 
of the Seventeenth Century are expressed in 
another vase carpet of that period. The five¬ 
armed willow or broom shrub in this rug appears 
also in the works of the Persian miniature painter 
Riza Abbasi, and the general design is familiar 
to those who know the Isnik mural tiles of the 
same era. Jacoby, in his recent book, refers to 
this carpet as a companion to the foregoing 
(Plate i), but claims for it greater sumptuous¬ 
ness and richness. In describing the design, he 
writes: “The indigo ground, iridescent in pea¬ 
cock blue, is framed by a border of old gold. All 
the blossoms, leaves, tendrils, branches and buds, 
toned with incredible fineness and variety, stand 
out in undisturbed harmony from border and 
center as minutely outlined as though by the deli¬ 
cate brush of a miniature painter.” 

The rug has survived the passing centuries, gain¬ 
ing softness and beauty of color. Part of the 
main border has been skilfully restored. A carpet 
similar to this is in the collection of the South 
Kensington Museum. 










dumber hi 

Carpet from Central Persia, xix Century 


Width : Six feet 
Length: Eight feet three inches 


Although woven at a much later period, the 
influence of the earlier vase carpets may still be 
seen in this piece. Close examination reveals that 
two types of knots have been used. The colors 
are strong and full in tone. The field is madder 
red, the border dark indigo, and the tertiary 
stripes of bronze yellow. 




IV 


Carpet from Central Persia, Middle xix Century 


Width: Seven feet nine inches 
Length: Eight feet six inches 


I he influence of the earlier Herat works is seen 


in examining the design of this Nineteenth Cen¬ 
tury rug. A rich blue ground is strewn with floral 
motifs in green, yellow, violet and light blue. 
The gold guard stripes frame a border, showing 
various forms of conventionalized flowers. 





dumber v ' 

T wo Border Fragments of an East Persian 

Carpet, xviii Century 


w idth: One foot five inches; one foot five inches 
Length : Five feet eight inches; five feet one inch 


These two fragments are unquestionably parts 


of the border of a great carpet. They establish 
conclusively tHe origin of tHe so-called “Herat” 


border that is used very generally in Central and 


Northern Persia in the rugs being manufactured 
today. 

The bronze yellow shows the carpet to belong to 
a somewhat later epoch than the time when the 
finest examples of its class were made, but, never¬ 
theless, they represent a period when the work¬ 
manship was more accurate and precise, and of 
higher grade than it is in this region today. 








dumber vi 

Carpet from Eastern Persia 
Herat, xviii Century 

Width: Six feet eight inches 
Length : Seven feet eight inches 


Phis Herat carpet is a beautiful example of the 
“Mahi” or “Fish” design. The color of the 
ground is ivory, and the border dark blue, spar¬ 
ingly illuminated with bronze yellow and pale 
green. The softness and luster are exquisite. 
These ancient carpets from Herat have furnished 
inspiration for textile design in many other parts 
of Persia. Today the same pattern is employed 
by the weavers in Central and Western Persia, 
notably in the Fereghan district, although the 
Fereghan rug usually has its own distinctive 
border. 

While the Herat design probably comes down 
from the earliest days of weaving, it is frequently 
seen in Western reproductions of Eastern carpets, 
and it can be traced through many centuries. 





tNjimber vn 

North Persian Carpet, xvii to xviii Century 

Width: Seven feet eleven inches 
Length: Ten feet six inches 


Although carpets showing similar borders 
have been accredited to Herat, this piece undoubt¬ 
edly was woven in the Karabagh or Southern 
Caucasus. The resemblance to the carpets of 
Caucasia is seen at once. The field is of medium 
blue and the border of blue-red. 


j^jimber viii 

From the Caucasus or Karabagh 
Early xviii Century 

Width : Three feet seven inches 
Length: Ten feet three inches 

The exact source or origin of this piece is de¬ 
batable. The zigzag stripes on the ground repre¬ 
sent water, a design much used in the Ispahan 
garden patterns. Water lilies growing in a pond 
are seen in the four small plates. The gold border 
shows pronounced Cufic influence. 


15 




16 


"Plate ix 
































Tlate ix 

Old Armenian or Caucasian Animal 
Carpet, xvii Century 

Width: Eight feet 
Length: Seventeen feet 

T he exact origin and period of this “animal” 
carpet are subjects of controversy among the 
most eminent authorities on rare rugs. Professors 
F. R. Martin and F. Sarre claim that this design 
originated in the Armenian districts of Eastern 
Asia Minor, while Jacoby assigns them to Cau¬ 
casia. There is little doubt, however, that this 
piece, among the finest of its type in existence, 
and in splendid condition, was woven in the 
Sixteenth or the Seventeenth Century. 

The ground is of cold madder red with a design 
of intertwined hands, the movement of which is 
interrupted at their intersection by large flowers. 

The spaces show clearly the mythological dragon 
or phoenix from which this group derives the 
name “Animal” or “Dragon” carpet. In one of 
the most interesting private collections in the 
United States is a carpet the field of which closely 
resembles the field of the one shown here. 



17 



''Plate x 


i 8 





























































^Plate x 

Old Caucasian Carpet, xviii Century 

Width: Six feet four inches 
Length : Thirteen feet eleven inches 

I t does not require the keen j udgment of the con¬ 
noisseur to recognize the marked resemblance of 
the modern rugs of Caucasia to this antique 
carpet. 

The central medallion is seen frequently in the 
Tschelabirth Kazak of today, and Hawley refers 
to it as Tcherkess from Western Caucasia. 

In decorative coloring, this Eighteenth Century 
production surpasses even older rugs of its group. 

And apart altogether from the harmonious color 
scheme, the bold figures of the field are truly a 
geometric delight. The eye of the appreciative 
admirer is further intrigued by the perfect corre¬ 
lation and balance of the border with the center 
design, an effect skilfully attained, the fieldbeing 
one of massiveness against the simple border. 

In “A History of Oriental Carpets before 1800,” 

Martin shows an illustration of a similar piece, 
and assigns it to the works of 1800. 



19 



‘P /ate xi 

Old Caucasian Carpet, xviii Century 

Width: Seven feet one inch 
Length : Fourteen feet eleven inches 

B eautiful, not alone for the richness and depth 
of color, but for the interesting Cufic border, is 
this Caucasian carpet of the Eighteenth Century. 

The design, with but slight alteration, was largely 
used in the rugs from Daghestan and Shirvan 
throughout the Nineteenth Century and may 
be seen in more recent productions from these 
districts. 

The Cherkess motif is again present in the central 
medallion, and the four Caucasian palmettes in 
the corners contrast with the formality of the 
two larger medallions, with the result that the 
whole is a most pleasingly balanced design. Tur¬ 
quoise blue, yellow and madder red illuminate 
the black-brown held. All the tones of primary 
and tertiary hue combine to result in a festival 
of color. 

Martin, in his writings, reproduces a piece with 
a border like the one described here, calling it 
“Carpet from Armenia or South Caucasia.” 






r 

2 I 


Plate xi 












































































Njimber xii 

Fragment of Caucasian Animal Carpet 

xvii Century 

Width: Seven feet one inch 
Length: Three feet seven inches 

The traditional designs of Oriental textiles may 
be grouped in two general classes. The more fre¬ 
quent type seems to reflect the true Moham¬ 
medan restriction to the making of patterns with 
abstracted forms, interlacing designs, and cryptic 
signs. The second characteristic in design re¬ 
flects the freer thought of other Eastern peoples 
in the use of animal and botanical forms. The 
“animal” carpets belong to the later group. 

In this fragment of a Seventeenth Century rug, 
both the Dragon and Phoenix are traditional 
forms, undoubtedly brought to the Caucasus 
from the far East and used as much for their 
character in design as for any symbolic signifi- 
ance. 



23 






Plate xiii 

Old Caucasian Carpet, xvii to xviii Centura 

Width: Seven feet seven inches 
Length: Seventeen feet seven inches 


I he more geometric treatment of the Persian 
Vase Design is seen in another production, placed 
in the Seventeenth to the Eighteenth Century of 
the Caucasian textile art. The colors as well 
as the design show a likeness, easily recognized, 
to the Seventeenth Century Persian Vase Carpet 
reproduced in Plate n, making allowance for 
the bolder interpretation of the figures resulting 
from the use of a coarser weave. 

It is interesting to observe the more rugged form 
of the same motives when used by Caucasian 
weavers as compared to the smooth symmetry 
of design made by the Persians. The latter 
reflects the influence of its more highly refined 
civilization. 

From a decorative point of view this is one of the 
most charming of the Caucasian group in the 
collection. No other will surpass it in durability. 



24 






5 




Tlate xiii 













































dumber xiv 

Old Caucasian Carpet, xviii Century 

Width: Eight feet four inches 
Length : Eighteen feet nine inches 


Though probably woven at a considerably later 
date than the rug reproduced in Plate xiii, this 
carpet also shows Persian Vase influences. The 
many colors used in the border on a yellow 
ground produce an effect much lighter than is 
usually found on carpets of this kind, the more 
pleasing perhaps because so rarely seen. Beauty 
is added too by the emerald green and the rose 
threads in which the elongated leaves on the 
field are worked. 

This rug shows a marked relation to the modern 
carpets from Karabagh. 



i\umber xv 

Antique Caucasian Carpet, xviii to xix Century 

Width: Seven feet 
Length: Fifteen feet two inches 


1 his old rug creation can easily be traced to Cau¬ 
casia by the character of the design. 

The rich field of antique red is illuminated with 
shields and geometric panels of old ivory, blue 
and gold. The simplicity of the mellow blue 
border brings out the general tone effects. 


7 



Tlatc xvi 

Caucasian Carpet, xix Century 

Width: Six feet four inches 
Length: Twelve feet two inches 


W ealth of color makes another of the Caucasian 
carpets most charming. While this is of a later 
period than most of the same group in the collec¬ 
tion, it is interesting as showing the transition 
between the works of the Sixteenth and the 
Seventeenth Centuries and those being made at 
the present day. 

The design possesses less artistic unity than the 
earlier carpets, but it reflects to some extent 
the foreign influences which were to dominate 
the productions of the late Nineteenth Century. 
The likeness to carpets of Northwestern Persia 
can also be seen in the pattern, although this 
piece came from the Southern Shirvan territory. 



28 





29 


"Plate xvi 






















































































!\umher xvii 

Antique Cabistan Rug, xviii Century 

w idth: Four feet eight inches 
Length : Nine feet eight inches 

1 he deep indigo ground with floral motifs in 
yellow, red and green, in the Cabistan piece of 
two centuries ago, is framed by a border of ivory. 

The simple forked tendrils of the border give a 
pleasing effect, and bind gracefully the center 
design, which is of a very different form of orna¬ 
mentation. It carries out the traditional charac¬ 
teristics of pattern and hues employed by the 
Cabistan weavers. 


Clumber xviii 

Fragment from Karabagh, Caucasia 

xix Century 

Width: Seven feet 
Length: Ten feet ten inches 


These Karabagh pieces of the past century show 
the French influence, introduced, it is believed, 
by the Russian Occupation of the district in i 81 3. 
Many types of Nineteenth Century rugs show 
European traces, but when the Russian invaders 
carried French ideas directly into Karabagh, the 
productions from that territory reflected a more 
marked foreign tendency in design. 


3 1 



Djumber xix 

Caucasian Ru g, xix Century 

Width: Five feet four inches 
Length: Seven feet five inches 


An unusually interesting carpet from Karabagh 
is this dark blue flower-decorated field, framed 
by a rose border. The conventionalized flowers 
are unmistakably Persian, and are frequently 
seen in the later carpets from Herat. The design 
bears a distinct resemblance to the well-known 
Persian Mina Khani pattern. 

The Karabagh textiles have always shown 
marked indications of the close proximity of this 
Caucasian “Black Vineyard” to Persia, as only 
a river divided the rug-making center of Kara¬ 
bagh from the territory of the Shahs. 

Njimber xx 

South Caucasian Rug, xviii Century 

Width: Three feet eleven inches 
Length : Five feet four inches 


This carpet has a border that is entirely different 
from the type usually found in Caucasia, al¬ 
though there are many native traces about the 
piece as a whole. 

The geometric design of the border is closely 
related to the carpets used for their decorative 
value in the paintings of the Dutch masters. 


32 




dumber xxi 

Guendji Rug, xix Century 

Width: Three feet seven inches 

Length: Seven feet four inches 

I he color choice and arrangement produced 
in the Guendji are striking though somewhat 
peculiar. On a dark brown ground is woven a 
double row of hexagons. In color these are alter¬ 
nately vermilion and orange-yellow, and a white 
ribbon-like ornament connects them. When the 
rug is hanging the design is most effective. 
Charm is added to the possession of a Guendji by 
the fact that it has been made by the nomads who 
wander over the southern district of Elizabethpol, 
gathering as they go the brilliancy of the lands 
and weaving it into their works of art. It is 
believed that the name Guendji was derived 
from Gunja, which was the name of Elizabeth¬ 
pol before it came under Russian rule. 



33 



Tlate xxii 


34 




































‘Plate xxii 

An Ancient Carpet 

w idth: Five feet six inches 
Length: Seven feet nine inches 


Only six colors have been woven into this ex¬ 
quisite antique, probably the oldest piece in the 
collection, and two of these are natural shades 
of wool. In all probability the dyer has used an 
application of blue and then red to get the violet 
shades, and the remaining three colors he has 
made from indigo, madder and buckthorn berries. 
The carpet with the Ming Escutcheon in the 
Kaiser Friedrich Museum is the only other well- 
known example of the use of a color scheme so 
limited. 

The arabesque work in the medallion is so perfect 
that one can readily believe that the inspiration 
of the weaver came from a fine miniature of 
the era. 

It is supposed that this rare antique was made in 
the district that now marks the border between 
Persia and Caucasia. It is ascribed by Jacoby 
as belonging to the Fifteenth or the Sixteenth 
Century. 



35 



OIl 

SfVA 

V*V. 

ava 

kVA 

: 

*V.V^ 
jJAsr 

, :^t 

i^V^i 

, k'VA 
:^; 

*W 

;&v: 

I 5%V& 

:m: 

*VA' 

L^** A 
1 :^: 

fey*: 

hi 

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e^; 

** ^ *« c 
z V 


P/tf/e XXIII 


36 






















Tlate xxiii 

An Early Rug from Asia Minor 

xvi Century 

Width: Four feet five inches 
Length: Seven feet one inch 

The general appearance of this carpet might 
lead to the assumption that it originated in Cau¬ 
casia, but closer analysis of the symbols and color 
effects immediately assigns it to Asia Minor. Of 
particular interest is the “Tschintimani,” or, as 
it has been called by Bode-Kuhnel, “Ball and 
Lightning” design, the seal of Tamerlane. Dr. 
Yalentiner asserts that this symbol was used by 
Tamerlane to indicate his lordship over the 
three parts of the world, and he also calls atten¬ 
tion to the fact that the same motif was regarded 
by the Tartars as an emblem of luck. 

The design appears in tiles from Isnik at the end 
of the Sixteenth Century, as well as in fabrics 
produced about the same time. In the Metropoli¬ 
tan Museum of Art, New York, may be seen a 
velvet brocade and a piece of pottery showing 
this motif. 



37 




J\umber xxiv 

A Fragment of an Asia Minor Carpet 

xvii Century 

Width: One foot eight inches 
Length: Four feet seven inches 

Chinese cloud-hands ornament the border of a 
fragment of Seventeenth Century Asia Minor 
weaving. The term “bird-carpet'’ commonly 
applied to this variety is derived from the bird- 
like figures that decorate the field-ground. It is 
reasonable to suppose, however, that the motif 
used is a fantastic creation of the artist’s imagi¬ 
nation, rather than a bird, as Sunnite or orthodox 
Mohammedanism prevails in Asia Minor. 

Clumber xxv 

Asia Minor, xyi Century 

Width: Four feet eleven inches 
Length: Six feet eleven inches 


Carpets and table covers with borders similar 
to the outer frieze in this rug may be seen in the 
paintings of Hans Holbein, used by the painter 
for their decorative qualities. That rugs of this 
type influenced the later Bergamo productions is 
evident on comparison. 



dumber xxvi 

Asia Minor, xvii Century 


w idth: Four feet eleven inches 
Length : Six feet seven inches 


Cherry red ground, yellow medallion and moss 


green corners compose the inner field of this 
Seventeenth Century Bergamo,which is framed 
by a medium blue border outlined in yellow. The 
geometric cloud-hands in the border are bold 
and distinct, and the Cufic design in the corner 
pieces contributes largely to the effectiveness of 
this interesting rug. The skill of the old Bergamo 
dyers has contributed much to the fame of the 
textiles of that land. 




Bergamo, Early xviii Century 


Wi dth : Five feet three inches 
Length: Eight feet seven inches 


Authorities give much credit to the workman¬ 
ship of the Bergamo carpets, although there is a 
full measure of artistic merit as well in this speci¬ 
men of two centuries ago. Medium blue, sea 
green and gray light up the chocolate brown 
border and the dull brick red center. 


39 


Njimber xxvm 

Bergamo, xviii Century 

Width: Five feet ten inches 
Length : Six feet seven inches 

Because of some of the forms used, this rug 
shows a marked likeness to the Prayer Rugs of 
Ladik, the similarity being particularly notice¬ 
able in the panels at both ends of the field. But 
connoisseurs place it among those made in the 
vicinity of the old Greek city of Pergamus. 

The color of the border ground is of compelling 
interest, with its soft nuances of gray green-blue 
leading through many tones up to a most intense 
and virile shade. The medallions of madder red, 
mellowed by time, stand out in fine contrast 
against these green-blue hues. 

The three elongated shields in the center are not 
unlike those found in the carpets of Rhodes. 



40 



dumber xxix 

Bergamo, xviii to xix Century 


Width: Five feet one inch 
Length: Eight feet eleven inches 


A noth er interesting Bergamo has a dark cherry 


red ground with live plates in deep blue, illumi¬ 
nated in ivory and soft yellow. Geometric figures 
borrowed from the Caucasian are seen in the rug. 
Somewhat unique is the border on a middle-blue 
ground decorated with a scroll design seldom 
found in this type of carpet. 




Asia Minor, xix Century 


Width: Five feet five inches 
Length : Eight feet eight inches 


The color of the background and the pattern of 
this Asia Minor rug of the last century suggest 
the French carpets of the century previous. 
Three bold shield panels on a rusty black ground 
are framed by an elongated leaf design in old 
gold and faun. It is admired for the color con¬ 
trast as well as for its historic merits. 




'Plate xxxi 


42 
























'Plate xxxi 

Old T urkish Rug 

Width: Five feet nine inches 
Length : Nine feet one inch 

One of the choicest pieces in the collection is 
this old “Damascus” rug of the Sixteenth Cen¬ 
tury. In pattern it is typical of the period and 
locality, and it calls to mind the designs in the 
tiles of Nicaea. 

Obviously great care was observed in preparing 
the design prior to the weaving of the rug, for 
although a variety of forms are used, both natu¬ 
ralistic and abstract, the pattern in its entirety 
is in perfect balance. 

The cloud-bands of the corner pieces are purely 
Chinese. The field is dull red, the corner pieces 
old blue, and the border a soft green. The delicate 
tracery and beauty of outline show the refinement 
of Persian art rather than the Turkish. 



43 


Tlate xxxii 

Ushak Carpet, Late xvi Century 

Width: Nine feet 
Length: Twelve feet four inches 


Truebner, the German painter, formerly 
owned this richly colored Ushak. It is recognized 
as one of the finest examples of its type now 
existing. Without doubt more is known of this 
class of carpet than any other of the period. Con¬ 
trary to the usual custom of weaving in Ushak, a 
rich yellow and light blue have been introduced 
into the combination of red and darker blue. 
With these colors the fine arabesque work of the 
medallion is shown in bold relief. 

The fact that many antique Ushak Rugs have 
been found in the old Italian churches is evi¬ 
dence of the early commercial relationship be¬ 
tween the Turks and the Venetians. 

A similar piece is in one of the best known collec¬ 
tions in the United States. 










45 


“Tlate xxxii 










































j^umber xxxm 

Ushak, xvii Century 

Width: Seven feet eleven inches 
Length : Twelve feet one inch 
-- • 

1 his carpet, knotted comparatively close, is by 
no means inferior to the one that precedes it in its 
rich and bold drawings, but it cannot compare 
with the foregoing in splendor of color. 

Here is to be seen the characteristic blue-red 
tone. In this example the dark blue has been 
selected for the ground, the border and the me¬ 
dallion, while the field, covered evenly with 
blue tendrils, is in vermilion. 

The corners and the field of the innermost shield 
are moss green, illuminated with arabesques of 
salmon pink. 

*nr 

Jr I 

V 


[umber xxxiv 

Ushak, xviii Century 

Width: Eight feet one inch 
Length : Thirteen feet two inches 


Typical of the Ushaks of the Eighteenth Cen¬ 
tury, this piece shows much larger detail of 
design than the earlier carpets of the class. 

The colors are soft and pleasing. Although much 
reparation has been necessary, the carpet has lost 
none of its original charm. 


47 


dumber xxxv 

Ushak Prayer Rug, xviii Century 

Width: Six feet eight inches 
Length: Eleven feet nine inches 


This carpet shows all the characteristics of 
Ushak art of the Eighteenth Century, namely, a 
certain rigidity of design, and inclination toward 
repetition and simplicity of detail. 

The four prayer niches were seldom featured 
until the latter half of this century. Each mihrab 
contains a censer, and the place to be occupied by 
the worshipper is indicated. 

The excellence of the materials and dyes in these 
carpets of Eastern Asia Minor gives promise of 
their worth as heirlooms that will be well pre¬ 
served for future generations. 

dumber xxxvi 

Ushak, xix Century 

Width: Five feet 
Length: Six feet nine inches 

I here is also an interesting Ushak of the early 
Nineteenth Century. The field is old red, and 
the border and medallion old blue. This rug illus¬ 
trates further the tendency toward simplicity of 
pattern to be seen in the later examples of the 
Ushak weave. 


48 



!Njimber xxxvii 
Ushak, xvii Century 

Width: Three feet nine inches 
Length : Five feet one inch 

Small rugs of this style were made, it is believed, 
for the Venetians, and their size and good condi¬ 
tion indicate that they were used as table covers. 
Paintings of the period show Seventeenth Cen¬ 
tury Ushaks used as coverings on tables. 

The cloud-bands in the border make a suitable 
frame, and the colorings of these contrast with 
the center in bold relief. 



!h[umber xxxvm 
Kula, xviii to xix Century 

Width: Four feet two inches 
Length : Ten feet six inches 

I his Kula of uncertain age calls to mind the old 
Koniah Rugs, because of the floral border of 
carnations and roses interwoven in scroll tracery 
on a rich golden background. The four shields of 
fine old blue on the madder red field give a sump¬ 
tuous color effect. 


^timber xxxix 

Kula, xix Century 

Width: Four feet two inches 
Length : Nine feet five inches 


Although similar in design to Number xxxvm 
this Kula of the same century carries an unusual 
color effect throughout. The brown-violet field 
and the turquois blue border are low and soft in 
color. It will be recognized by those who know 
the workmanship,as an example of good weaving. 


:£> 

w 


[Slumber XL 
Kula, xix Century 

Width: Four feet four inches 
Length: Five feet seven inches 

^ ^ 

It is of interest that this Kula rug and Number 
xxxviii are much alike. The similarity in color¬ 
ing and border design is so marked that the pur¬ 
chaser has the unusual opportunity of securing 
two fine pieces that match. 

A red field of subdued tone is well covered with 
small floral designs, and bound at the end with 
corner pieces of a blue that harmonizes well. 


(timber xli 
Kul a, xix Century 

Width: Four feet five inches 
Length : Five feet one inch 


Another fine example of true Asia Minor 
weaving art is a Nineteenth Century Kula with a 
field of ox-blood red. Small blue and gold panels 
cover areas of the red field5 blue corners and 
a gold border show an admirable color treatment 
that places the rug among the best of its time. 



Njimber xlii 

Prayer Rug from Asia Minor, xviii Century 

Width: Four feet 
Length: Five feet five inches 


Although sometimes designated as “Transyl¬ 
vania/’ this prayer rug is now known to have 
originated in the vicinity of Ghiordes. 

It is agreed that pieces of this kind received their 
misnomer from the fact that a number were 
found in churches of Transylvania, where they 
had been brought from Asia. 

The ground is soft rose; the center champagne 
color, and the corners brilliant blue. 




Njimber xliii 
Ghiordes, xviii Century 

Width: Four feet two inches 
Length : Five feet four inches 


This rug is a good example of the famous type 
sought and prized by collectors. The mihrab 
contains two columns in which an exceedingly 
intricate design has been worked. Above the 
mihrab is a field of clear blue used to indicate 
the sky, and this is illuminated with small floral 
motifs in rose. The border is a mass of flower 
designs on a blue ground. 



[umber xliv 

Prayer Rug, xviii to xix Century 

Width: Four feet three inches 
Length: Six feet 


The shape of the mihrab on this prayer rug from 
the hinterland of Smyrna compels interest. The 
vase of flowers, curiously, is woven in upside 
down. Close examination of the rug leads to 
the discovery that it differs but little from the 
prayer rugs of Kula. 

The ground is a mellow red and the border bril¬ 
liant blue. Quiet yellow tones are used in the 
upper corners. 


52 




dumber xlv 

Melas, xviii to xix Century 

Width: Three feet nine inches 
Length: Five feet one inch 

Amber yellow, a distinguishing feature of the 
rugs that came from the old bazaars in Melassa 
or Melez, is used profusely in this carpet, now 
more than a century old. It is valued, aside from 
its own merits, because the older pieces of its 
character and locality are fast diminishing, and 
disappearing from the markets. It shows the 
Saracen flower skilfully traced in the border. 
The tendrils above the mihrab compel admira¬ 
tion, and the detail of the ribbon bands at the 
head can be seen in their true beauty when 
viewed from a distance. 



53 








‘Plate xlvi 


Prayer Rug from Asia Minor, Ladik 
Early xviii Century 

Width: Three feet nine inches 
Length: Five feet seven inches 

Ceremonial dignity is the key-note of design 
in this fine old prayer rug from Ladik. The 
threefold niche is supported by columns that 
suggest the stately portals of a mosque. Done in 
time-enriched ivory, the pillars stand out in 
clear-cut relief against the wine-red ground to 
which the years have given several softer tones 
that melt into the whole. 

The hyacinths and tulips in an even row above 
the prayer niches also help to carry out the gen¬ 
eral impression of formality. These are done in 
yellow and blue. The corner medallions in the 
top of the border are of green, the color that to 
the Orientals, it will he remembered, signified 
immortality. 

Some of the feeling of the artist’s pious devo¬ 
tion, and his sacred regard for the purpose for 
which the rug was made, reaches the observer 
immediately as he looks upon it. This is regarded 
as one of the real treasures of the collection. 



54 




55 


'Vlate xlvi 









































dumber xlvii 

Prayer Rug from Asia Minor, Ladik 
About eighteen hundred 

Width: Four feet one inch 
Length : Six feet seven inches 


I his Ladik prayer rug is typical of this form of 
carpet whose former use adds an element of 
romance in the possession. It achieves success by 
the daring contrasts of good colorings. The 
mihrab is done in red of fine quality. The border 
and ends tone down the effect. 



57 








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